Still Alive
by somas35
Summary: Jack had no idea where he was. Only that there were strange people wielding crazy weapons fighting giant black creatures of doom. So what was he doing in the middle of all this?
1. chapter 1

**Hiya! I'm somas and welcome to my newest story "Still Alive"! Right now I'm still not sure about this idea. I have a few plans for it but if nobody has any interest then I will discontinue it.** **So pretty much everyone who has done a transformers story has put Jack through the ringer at least once it seems. Well now it my turn to take a crack at it. My idea going into this was to take an old idea and breath some new life into it. Thats part of the reason why this is a crossover. The other being that I love seeing Jack sent to other planets and Remnant seemed like a great opportunity. Also I may confuse a few things in the timeline so if I do that please be sure to let me know in a review (heck just a review in general would be nice). In any case enjoy the story!**

(On Cybertron)

Jack and Arcee stood in front of the ground bridge to Earth, looking into the swirling rift in time and space with worry. Arcee had been unable to contact the Autobots on the other side to get the go ahead to go through. Which probably meant that it wasn't ok.

But they had to go through.

They had to get the Key to Vector Sigma to Optimus! It was the only way they knew to restore his memories and get there leader back. Without it he would just be Orion Pax, Iacon clerk and P.O.W to the Deceptions. They couldn't let that continue.

So after a moment's discussion it was decided they would rush the portal and Jack would get the key to Optimus while Arcee held back whoever was on the other side. So that's what they did, and at first it went well. Once on the other side Arcee fought off Megatron (who had incapacitated the other Bots) and he ran straight to Optimus who was watching the fight progress. Jack remembered him asking if he was truly worthy of the Matrix of Leadership, to which Jack responded "You have no idea" and released the key.

That's when Megatron saw through their ploy and came to strike Optimus down before he could fight back.

He was too late however. As Megatron brought down his sword Optimus caught in between his hands not unlike the time Megatron had done the same to Optimus back when this catastrophe began. Optimus said a few words of intimidation and proceded to beat the crap out of the silver titan.

It was then Megatron realized he had been beaten, and he was furious! He had been so close to finally destroying the Autobots forever! If not for Jack...

After that all Jack could remember was the sound of a plasma blast and the key glowing in front of him. Then a big flash of white.

And then he had woken up here. In an alleyway of an unfamiliar city. It was daylight out and due to the warmth of the sunlight he guessed that he was probably in Jasper or at least somewhere near there. He decided to get ahould of the base and see if they had gotten home safe and ask for a pickup. They were probably pretty worried by now. Jack took his cell phone out of his pocket and to his suprise he didn't have any cell service...odd, considering even Jasper had decent service in this day and age. He decided to head out of the ally and find out where he was.

Once out of the ally he could see that there were a few mountains near the city, which meant that this definitely wasn't Jasper. The city itself was busy with all sorts of people and vehicles going about there daily lives so he must be in a rather big city. Maybe he could find a train station or airport? those places typically have maps and he could use that to find out where he was. So when someone was passing by he walked up to them and began to ask for directions.

"Excuse me sir? I'm looking for the train station, do you know where that is?" Jack asked the man politely, Just as his mother had taught him.

Said man gave him a rather...hostile look and glanced up at his, forhead? Then responded in a gruff voice.

"Yea sure, Just head up that street and take a left until you see the station, can't miss it" He said quickly and walked away while muttering "Dumb Faunus". Jack didn't know what he meant about Faunus but decided to ignore the insult and head for the station.

The station turned out to be more like a subway station. Similar to the ones you would see in New York or someplace like that. There was graffiti on the concrete walls and people waiting impatiently in line for there tickets, further cementing the fact that he was in no small city. Beside the ticket booth stood what Jack had come here for, A large map. At first he was joyful, but that joy quickly turned sour when he examined the map. He found that he didn't recognize any of the places on this map. Vale? Emerald Forest? What we're these places? Where was he?! He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

And froze...

On his head He felt two...somethings...pulling on his scalp. He slowly felt around and noticed that he could feel from these appendages, In fact they kind of felt like...

But, there was no way right? These couldn't possible be...

Jack spotted a puddle over by one of the wooden benches lining the subway walls. He frantically dashed over to confirm his fears. Hoping that this was some strange trick.

Sure enough. Jack Darby had two bunny ears sticking out from the top of his head.

 **End**

 **Welp, That's that. maybe this will gain some interest and maybe it won't but either way any kind of criticism would be most helpful. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter two

**Hiya! Nice to see your still interested. To be honest I didn't think I would get this out this quickly. But I wound up with some extra time on my hands so I was able to get it done much sooner then planned. Anyways I'm thinking of answering reviews in the authors notes from now on instead of in PM's so tell me if you would prefer that.** **Now on to the story.**

 **Chapter two**

(In unkown territory)

When Jack had first seen those ears on his head, He was stunned to silence. He didn't know what to think, It just made no sense! Maybe something in his DNA got screwed up in the ground bridge? No, that didn't make any kind of sense...maybe he was just going nuts?

It was honestly his best explanation at the time.

After staring at the puddle in shock like an idiot for what felt like an hour (though in reality about five minutes) he finaly disregarded this crazy information in favor of finding something he could actually recognize.

He decided to start with-

 ** _wwwwwwwoooooooooowwww!_**

Suddenly everything turned into chaos! People darted to the exit with no regard for anyone or anything else, leaving there luggage and even shoving people over! He was even shoved to the ground himself once or twice.

"H-Hey! What's going on!" Jack shouted, but no one could hear him over the commotion, or just plain ignored him.

"What's happening!?" He yelled again at the top of his lungs. Still no answer. At this point he just gave up and ran with the crowd in hopes of finding out some other time. Usually when an air horn this loud went off it meant something dangerous was happening such as a tornado or earthquake. Though there hadn't been any bad weather out, nor had the ground been shaking. He still didn't want to be caught out in the open if whatever was going on was bad.

(Scene break)

After a lot of running and getting shoved a few times (and getting his not-ears pulled, but he didn't think about that), the crowd gathered in a large bunker not too far away from, judging from the large sign on the front of the rather ornate building, was the town hall. The bunker while big, was still too small to hold an entire city. Jack figured there were more across the city or whatever was happening only concerned the section he had been in.

Speaking of...

Now that things had calmed down and he had a spot to sit maybe he could get someones attention. He decided to try the woman with...cat ears...("don't think about it Jack!") beside him.

"Um, E-Excuse me miss? What exactly is going on out there?" He asked in a near whisper, not wanting to disturb the quiet that had come over the mass.

The woman looked to him with soft eyes and glanced up slightly, just as the man before had. At least he wasn't the only one who thought they were strange ("stop it!").

"Are you from Vale?" She asked lowly and without malice.

Jack remembered the place from the map before but knew nothing about it, he figured that he shouldn't tell her that though.

"Yes mam."

The woman nodded and spoke again.

"There's a Grimm attack close to the city, they're not sure if it will break through the defenses or not." She said and looked over to the small child clinging to her shoulder.

Grimm attack!? The heck was a Grimm?! What was going on?! Why couldn't he get a hold of anyone?! Why wasn't he able to recognize anything?! Why did he have EARS ON HIS HEAD?!

 _Where was everyone_?...

The woman beside him must have noticed his panic and knelt down beside him.

"Hey hey, it's gonna be ok, the Grimm are still outside the city. Things will be ok." She said, Though Jack didn't notice, still to preoccupied with his inner turmoil. She shook him a bit and he snapped up with eyes wide, showing clear fear.

"Are...your parents around?" She asked slowly. He took a second and shook his head. He didn't want to worry her but he didn't know what to say or where to go. The womans not-ears sagged slightly, she nodded again and sighed.

"Listen, I work at a place where you could stay for a while if you need to. We dont have much but at least you would have a roof over your head right?"

"You mean...like an orphanage?" Jack asked after some hesitation. He wasn't very fond of orphanages, he knew they needed to exist but he didn't like what they symbolized.

People without family's, People who's parents had given up or just didn't care.

People who's parents had...died.

He never wanted to go there.

"Not exactly" the woman said slowly.

"Its more like a place for people to just stay the night when they have nowhere else to go. We give out a free meal every evening and then send them off in the morning. Sometimes they come back sometimes not." She finished.

Jack just nodded. At this point he was very drained emotionally. Everything felt like a dream. Even meeting the Autobots and getting caught up in an intergalactic war hadn't prepared him for this. The woman didn't say anything more and handed him a piece of paper with an address and left. Jack held the paper in front of him and sighed. He didn't want to go to this place. It would be like admitting to all this crazyness that was happening around him.

Then again his life had been pretty crazy for a while now, and he had gotten a second family out of it.

In the end he didn't have much of a choice.

 **End** **I don't think this came out too badly. Could use some work but overall ok. Also if anyone reading this has some time on there hands I am in need of a cover for this story. I'm not much for drawing (more prefer music) and don't really have time to learn.** **Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! And don't forget to leave a review, it really does help!**


	3. Chapter three

**Hiya! yup I'm still here. So far things have been pretty tame. but these chapters have been pretty short so there is not much to get bored of just yet. but in the next couple of chapters we should start to see some action. So thanks for sticking with this story so far. Enjoy!**

Chapter Three

(In Mountain Glenn)

It had been almost two hours before someone in uniform came down and told them that things had calmed enough to go back outside. At this point it was starting to get pretty late so Jack figured he should head to the address the woman from before had given him.

There was one problem however. He didn't know anything about Mountain Glenn's (he had overheard someone mention that in the bunker) streets or places. It took a lot of asking around and some strange looks to finaly get a grasp of where he was going. This city really was much bigger then he was used to. In the end it was almost completely dark when he made it to his final destination.

The building was rather large and dark looking with a sign hanging just above the two main doors that pictured a red...cross...wait.

Red Cross! Finally something he could recognize!

Why hadn't the woman told him It was a Red Cross Center? That seemed much easier then the long explanation she had given before. Oh well. It couldn't be helped now, he wanted to get inside.

When Jack entered the building he saw that it was even darker inside then it had looked. in the main room there were only a few lights and they were only single bulbs, nothing else. For the size of the building it certainty wasn't enough to cover the entire place. On top of that the whole thing seemed to be in disrepair. From the shody walls, to the groaning floor that creaked and moaned as he walked to what looked like the kitchen.

Maybe that's why she hadn't called it the Red Cross...

Because it wasn't.

(Scene break)

Jack had just gotten out of the food line and was sitting in one of the recreational rooms eating his thin tomato and basil soup. Around him were various homeless people either reading, eating, or using the rather old looking tennis table. The room itself was much the same as the rest of the building only slightly better lit. Jack looked over to the bookshelf on the opposite side of the door. Maybe they had an atlas somewhere in there that he could use?

So After finishing his dinner Jack walked over and took a look. It didn't take long to realize that the books were not at all in alphabetical order so it took some searching until he found something that caught his eye.

"Early Remnant History Volume 1" It read on the hardback cover. He didn't have anything better to do until he found out how to get home so why not? He skipped a few pages ahead and began to read.

(A few minutes later...)

He hadn't gotten two chapters in and already Jack was very confused. This book was saying that humanity came from some kind of...dust? And not only that but also that humanity was under the constant attacks from the dark creatures known as the Grimm, who would stop at nothing to tear Humanity and all they had built apart. Jack was getting ever more nervous by the second. He really didn't want to keep reading this...obviously fake book...but he knew he would eventually give in anyway so he read on.

What he saw terrified him.

" _At some point after the birth of Humanity, came the Faunus. The Faunus are a race of people whom almost completely resemble a common human with one exception."_ _"They show a single animal-like trait, such as wolf ears or claws. They also have access to highened senses when compared to that of a human. Most Faunus of today are seen as a lower species to the larger human population of the globe, though we will touch on that more in chapter-_ "

Jack couldn't bear to read further then that. And who could blame him...

He had just learned that he was no longer human. And on top of that he was beginning to see what was right in front of him all along...but he had to make sure...Just one last thing to confirm it. Jack searched for almost twenty minutes before he finaly found an old torn up atlas. He quickly flipped to the first page.

On that page showed a land mass unlike any he had seen before, and on the top of the page it read.

"The world of Remnant"

Jack Darby was on another planet...again.

And this time he had no way back.

 **I know the first scene might seem a bit strange and well...you would be right...I kinda wanted to portray a feeling of desperation of something that he could feel comfortable with, and then seemingly finding that. Then having it ripped away from you. Due to the chapter length I'm not sure I did very well. I'm trying to pace myself and learn what I can and can't do still. Either way thanks again for sticking around. and don't forget to leave a review!**


	4. Chapter four

**Hiya! I know it has been awhile but I did warn you in the beginning that my update schedule would get screwed up often. only this time it was cause of storms and not working. In anycase we finally get to see some action! so hope you are looking forward to that. Next chapter we get to see a full fledged fight scene! Where we can compare what Jack can do compared to his...opponent.** **Alright let's to it!**

 **Also one last thing. As of right now (7/4/2017) This story has 10 followers! Now that may not seem like much but it's a lot for me! I'm actually doing something right!**

Chapter 4

(Mountain Glenn, Duckers Cafe)

Four days...

That's how long Jack had been here. "Here" being a complete other world apparently known as Remnant. Jack still barely believed it even thought the proof was all around him. Yea sure he had been hanging out with an alien species for almost a year now but at least that had been on his home planet at the time! This was just insanity!

Since Jack had arrived here he had been thinking on a way to get home, though with little progress. He couldn't contact the bots for pickup because he had no service, the ground bridge that had brought him here was long gone, and he had no idea where the Earth was now.

What Jack _had_ discovered was that this world actually had a lot more in common with earth then one might imagine. First of all the people here still used the more mundane items such as blenders, washers, microwaves and other various things, they still used subways and trains for long-range transportation, they still didn't get along well with other people most of the time, they even still used automobiles, like the ones he was watching go by right now from the window of the small cafe he was in.

But for every one thing that reminded him of home, there were two more that brought him back to this (un)real reality.

One of the biggest differences he had come across was the dreaded Grimm, giant black monsters with red vains and white masks. They were vicious, strong,and they **HATED** humanity with a passion. literally all they ever did was hunt humanity and destroy there creations. They were terrifying to look at even in books. Yet there were people who went out there everyday to keep them at bay!

Jack couldn't imagine what that would be like...but he knew a few who could.

Another thing he found was that these people had never been to space, apparently cause they're energy source (called dust) didn't work in space. It kind of reminded him of Energon in a way, though he wasn't sure why. Also they had a moon that had been halfway shattered! How the heck was it still in orbit?!

Jack was brought out of his thoughts when the waitress tapped him roughly on the shoulder.

"Exuse me sir? You've been here for over an hour either buy something or leave." She said in a gruff voice. Judging by the look on her face as she checked out my...ears...she meant it.

"Yes mam"

Jack told her and walked out of the diner.

And into pouring rain...great...

he had been so distracted he hadn't even realized that it had started raining! He needed to get to the shelter. The black haired boy began to run through the downpour. Oh why had he not noticed sooner? It was raining so hard that he could barley see 10 feet ahead of him! Luckily he had been through this part of the city quite a bit the past few days and the shelter wasn't far so he should be-

"OOF!"

Ok...

Jack ran straight into a wall and hit the ground. How had he managed that? Wasn't he just going along the...oh.

Turns out it wasn't a wall. It was a group of three people wearing...black masks...

Oh scrap...

The man he had run into hadn't moved at all. He just stared at him with red piercing eyes. They looked like they had seen some things they shouldn't have. He also had a small frown showing through the man's attempt to have it. Jack briefly looked up and noticed the mask had holes for his horns.

Black masks, Faunes most likely means he lower class, out in low visibility, angry demeanor. These guys just screamed thives.

This didn't look good.

"You lost kid?"

The man I ran into asked loudly (he was also the biggest). Jack just sat for a second before answering.

"Y-Yes sir. I'm really sorry about that" Jack said as he stood up. The man did nothing for a moment, looking to be sizing him up, then nodded.

"I can see that, you should be more careful. Being alone makes you an easy target." He replied with a chuckle.

Wait...what? Literally just a second ago he looked absolutely ticked!

Apparently he saw Jacks confusion and laughed again. This time the two behind him, who were clearly body guards now that he could look more closely, laughed with him.

"Don't sweat it kid, I'm not gonna kill ya or anything. I don't roll that way. But not everyone thinks like me. So make sure to be a little more cautious you hear?" The man smiled.

Jack could not believe his luck! He was so glad this guy wasn't a total Con. Of course he was obviously outside the law but at least he was gonna leave him alone!

"Oh, Yes sir, thank you." Jack answered, not even trying to hide his relief.

"Haha! no problems kido. Just remember what I told ya and you should be a-ok."he said and raised his hand to shake.

"Uh..."

Jack reached out his hand to-

BANG!

Suddenly out of nowhere came a huge explosion! It thew them all four of them back and right into a nearby building.

What was going on?! Jack stood and looked around, frantically searching for any sign of the cause. He quickly realized that endeavor would be useless with all this rain obstructing there view. He quickly decided that the best decision was to hide.

In the second it took him to process that, a grayish shape shot out of the rain and right into one of the mas goons, sending him to the ground while she thing that hit him sped back into the rain again. The goon didn't get back up.

It was time to go...now!

He didn't think about anything else except getting out of there. Behind him he heard shouts and...gunshots! Spurring Jack to run even faster. What was happening!? Did the mysterious figure think he was a criminal? If that was the case then he would be screwed. He didn't have any way to prove that he wasn't!

Wait...no more gunshots? Did he get away?

Agh!

Nope...

The man who attacked them was now right on top of him. Holding his hands behind his back, he felt something sharp touch his neck.

"Hold up there buddy. Where do ya think you're goin now?" A deep voice asked a an amused, yet authoritative tone.

Scrap...

 **Well. That's it. Thanks for Reading! Don't forget to favorite and review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yea so this took a while, sorry about that. I wasn't sure how i wanted to go about this chapter, im really not the best with fight scenes but as you can see I've got it out now. Hopefully its at least decent.**

 **(Chapter 5)**

"Where do ya think yer goin now buddy?"

Those words sent a chill up Jack's spine. Though the rain probably had something to do with it as well. Jack turned his head as much as he could to see who his attacker was.

Huh...

The man holding him down didn't seem much older then he was, had raven black hair, and a tall stature. Though his eyes were red instead of Jack's blue. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He didn't have much time to think about such things now. He needed to get out of his grasp somehow.

"I'm...just trying to get home..." Jack answered slowly. Careful in choosing his words.

"Yea sure. I saw you talking with the big guy. I'm guessin you were meeting while no one could see am I right?" The mysterious figure laughed.

Well this was great. He thought Jack was a criminal. His mom would kill him if she found out.

"W-what? No! I'm not some crook!" Jack denied, nearly sputtering. The man only chuckled again.

"Yea whatever. I'm takin ya to the police station."

Jack nearly panicked. If he took him there then they would look him up and find out that he didn't have any kind of record at all! That would raise alarms for sure. And he didn't have any decent explanation for it.

He HAD to get away!

"Wait a sec ok! Just hear me out!" Jack cried, the man stopped pulling him.

"Talk fast kid."

Kid? He didn't seem much older than himself...whatever.

"Listen my boss can straighten this out alright? Just talk to him."Jack pointed his head to the opposite side of the street, the man followed his gaze.

Which was exactly what he wanted.

Jack suddenly twisted his hands out of his captor's grip and rotated his body to throw him off.

"What in the?!"

Then he took off, not bothering to look back. It wasn't long before he heard footsteps behind him.

This guy had been able to find him in the pouring rain long after fleeing the original ambush. If he didn't do something fast he would be caught all over again. That wouldn't end well for him.

Jack just continued running until he could think of a plan. He hopped he could find something soon.

(Unknown POV)

Well...this kid had aura...that was odd.

The man hadn't taken long to get up and charge after the boy in the grey shirt. He supposed he deserved a telling off for falling for that obvious trick.

"Man Rav is gonna kill me if she finds out." He said to himself. He could still just barely see the kid though he was steadily gaining on him. It wouldn't be long before he caught up.

(Jack POV)

"Come on come on give me something!" Jack said as he ran. Desperately looking for something to slow down the guy behind him. While looking back he vaguely saw a bus coming his way, and suddenly had an idea.

If he could stop the bus and climb under it maybe he could lose the guy. Though for this to work he would have to get out of the line of sight. Which meant being very very fast.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Jack muttered as he ran into the street. As the bus passed he waved his arms to the driver, trying to signal him to stop. Luckily he did. But instead of dashing under the bus like he planned Jack was thrown to the ground.

"Gotcha!" Jack heard. He looked up and saw the man standing over him with his fist rapidly heading towards his face. He quickly rolled to the side and stood up, only to get a foot in the gut. Sending him into another brick wall. Jack was honestly surprised he hadn't broken a rib or two by now.

Jack heard the quiet "Shing!" Of a sword being drawn with his rabbit ears and quickly rolled to the side.

"Bang!"

He glanced back to see the guy had SHOT right where he had been.

"What the heck dude!?" Jack cried. The man said nothing and charged at him with the sword raised. Again Jack dodged the swing, he considered running again but if he tried the man would just gun him down. Keeping at a close range was his best bet.

"What did I do to you?!" Jack called out, he didn't answer and just continued attacking with various swinging patterns, and occasionally letting the blade come apart from the hilt to take another shot at him. Suddenly Jack heard footsteps coming from behind, getting louder by the second. Another roll later he turned and saw a woman with a blade that looked a lot like the other man's, and hair just as black as his own.

What worried him most was the fact that she wore a eerily similar look on her face that Arcee did when she was fighting Cons.

Considering where those Cons ended up that didn't bode well for him.

"Do I always have to clean up your mess brother?" The woman glanced at her apparent brother.

"I had him you know." The man glared back.

"Then why am I here?" She retorted.

While this exchange was going on I looked around for something to defend myself with. I didn't think I could hurt them but I wasn't just gonna lay down and give up. I never did for the Cons and I wouldn't here. On the other end of the street I saw a store advertising dust and other items to along with it.

...I hate myself for doing this...

Now what I had planned on doing was charging at them and squeezing in between them, counting on them not attacking so they wouldn't hit each other. Only when I kicked my feet to charge through I suddenly felt the ground under me give a bit and I went sailing...

Into the air?!

I looked down to see the ground probably about ten feet below me.

"Wooooaaaaah!" I yelled as I went over my attackers and came careening down on the other side. I saw the ground coming closer and I held my arms out. When I hit I expected to break them, but instead they held up perfectly fine.

I was extremely confused but didn't have much time to worry about it cause they were already starting to close the minor gap I had made. I dashed inside the shop and ran behind one of the isles and stopped to catch my breath.

I heard the door open again and two pairs of footsteps enter the building thanks to my new pair of ears. I looked around at my surroundings and was surprised to find that the store's stock was almost entirely dust! This stuff powered their entire civilization right? Wouldn't the major companies out there have gotten a monopoly on there only source of energy?

I couldn't think about it anymore as I heard the footsteps getting closer. Scrap I got distracted! I had only just started to move when a saw the woman run into the isle straight at me! I turned the other way but the man was on the other side. I had been boxed in...

They slowed to a walk towards me with weapons raised and I knew It was over. They seemed to realize it too cause the man held a rather smug stature. The woman didn't seem the type to gloat.

"Alright kid, the funs over. Let's get going."

I was so dead.

A few blocks later and a few jabs at my pride from the man (whose name was Qrow of all things). We had arrived at the police station. Inside was a lot like the police station back home...not that I've ever been in trouble with the law before, I was only there for my license tests. Anyway the main entrance led into a small lobby where a few people were standing a I line, most of them families with some sort of grievance or another, a few were police with a prisoner to lock up. Eventually in came to us.

"My brother found this man conversing with a crime boss, we tried to bring him in for interrogation but he resisted." Raven spoke. The woman behind the counter nodded.

I'll get someone to talk to you. In the meantime please leave him in the interrogation room, I assume you know where it is? They both nodded and led me across another hallway.

"She acted like you were cops. Are you guys undercover or something?" I asked as we turned into a small room with no windows, a grey desk and a single ominous chair. The man laughed and shoved me into the chair.

"Nah kid we're huntsmen, we just do this a lot." He said. They left the room and locked the door behind them.

And for a while after that I was alone.

 **(End)**

 **And thats the end for today. Tomorrow we get to see Ozpin's appearance so that should move things along. Review if you like. I could certainly use the criticism. :P**

 **I've edited this chapter to clean things up a bit.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hiya! Welcome to chapter 6 of Still Alive. This one would have come sooner but I found this game called EVE and well...yea you get the idea. But anyways its here now and we get to meet Ozpin so thats a plus.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **(Chapter start)**

Jack Had little idea what to expect from the authorities of this world. It had to have been at least an hour since the two huntsmen (or rather huntsmen and huntress) had brought him here and no one had come to see him, though he had no way of knowing the actual time. Jack's rabbit ears twitched in irritation. He was free to walk around the room and he did appreciate the fact that they hadn't cuffed him to the chair (instead locking the door). However this appreciation didn't last long as Jack had quickly explored the entire room and had nothing else to do but think of an explanation for running originally.

(Jack POV)

You know now that I think about it, running was probably the worst decision I could have made...

Well...what's done is done. I need to focus on how I'm gonna get out of this mess.

A moment after that thought ran through my head the door opened and two people came inside. A man and women. They both looked at me for a moment, though the woman gave me one of those looks that said I wasn't gonna like what happened next.

Not as bad as mom's though...no one could beat that look.

The though of mom alone was rather painful and I was forced to shove it out of my thoughts so I could focus on the two who came in.

The first was a middle aged man, probably in his late thirties. He wore an olive green suit and spectacles. This, along with his mop of grey brown hair gave him the look of a stereotypical professor.

The other was a woman who looked surprisingly young. She had an almost regal look about her. She had bright blonde hair and also wore spectacles. though she chose to wear a rather odd purple and white outfit with frays extending out the back. She seemed more like a supervisor of sorts, especially with the demeanor she currently showed me.

The man sat in the chair on the other side of the desk while the women stood by the door.

"Hello," the man spoke with a reserved voice.

"It is my understanding that some of my students brought you here, am I correct?" He asked.

His students? Does this guy teach combat or something? Suddenly I felt a little more nervous being so close to him. If his students could do all those crazy things then now strong was he?

The man seemed to notice my change in attitude and spoke again.

"No need to panic, I do not intend to harm you. I just need to understand why you chose to pick a fight with students of beacon academy. Forgive me for assuming but you don't seem the fighting type." He explained.

"I'm sorry sir, I wasn't trying to hurt anyone I promise. But those two attacked me thinking I was some sort of criminal."

"And why was that?" He returned.

I hesitated a moment. I had no problem telling them about the man I ran into. It was what came after that had me worried.

"I ran into this guy while I was heading to the shelter. Apparently he was wanted and you student thought I was with him. Long story short he tried to get me to come here and I didn't want that."

That's when the women butted in.

"You do realize how that sounds don't you? Why not go with him to get the problem sorted out?" She asked pointedly.

I was silent for a second.

"I'm guessing you guys looked into my background right?"

The man nodded.

"What did you find?" I asked.

"We are you to discus you actions young man, not to answer your questions!" She raised her voice and I nearly winced.

The man held his hand up and she stopped.

"I believe I know where this is going. You were afraid to be arrested because you knew that it would be extremely suspicious if the government knew nothing about you or your origins. Is this right?"

I nodded, surprised that he had it dead on.

"So now the question now is why is there no record of you?"

And that was the big one I wanted to avoid...

I thought for a moment before deciding that anything I said would look bad.

So I opted for no action at all.

"I'm sorry sir, but you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

The mans eyebrow raised and he leaned forward, crossing his arms on the table to support his weight.

"I've just realized I haven't properly introduced myself. I am professor Ozpin of Beacon Academy." He said.

"Jack sir, Jack Darby. Though the police probably told you that by now (I gave them my name when they brought me in)."

"They did." The man nodded.

"So why exactly would I not believe your story? I've heard many tales, some true, others not."

"I don't think any of those stories are as crazy as mine sir." I stated.

"Try me, you never know what may happen if you don't."

I really didn't want to tell him. Mostly out of fear that I'd be thrown into a nut house. Then again I'm in a different world with different rules.

Maybe I should give it a shot...

...On second though maybe not...

"Sorry sir, but it's something that i would prefer to keep to myself. All I can say is that it probably wont give you much more trouble then it already has." I spoke. Then two said nothing for a moment, probably trying to see if I was lying.

"Do you have anywhere to go young man?" Ozpin finally asked.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. They were going to let me go? I shook my head and he nodded. Though I could have sworn that then woman's face eyebrow narrowed a bit.

"I figured. Here is what I'm going to do. I would like you to come to my school, not to enrole mind you. Rather so you will have a roof over your head and I can properly keep an eye on you."

The woman looked at the professor with a rather odd and angry look but didn't say anything. Though I didn't look long in fear of her attention focusing on me again.

"Well...its not like I can really refuse. When do I leave." I asked. Honestly this had gone MUCH better then I had expected.

"We will be leaving as soon as the transport is ready, if you have anything you want to take with you then then let us know."

I shook my head again and they stood up to leave.

"We will be back in just a moment...and Mr Darby, I do hope you can trust me enough one day to tell me why you are here." He stoood there for a second, waiting for a response that i wouldnt give. Finally they left.

I heaved a big sigh and flopped back in my chair.

 **(End)**

 **Thats all for this one, I had a lot of trouble with the conversation between Ozpin and Jack for this one. At first I had planned for jack to tell him (at least partly) what was going on. I later decided against that.** **Anyways hopefully I will see you guys next chapter. Bye!**

 **I edited this chapter on November 15th to have a better conversation flow**. **I also realized that Ozpin and Glynda need to look younger cause this is set before the show.**


	7. Chapter 7

It didn't take long for us to be on our way. We apparently had to go to an airfield to get to Beacon.

It was quite a sight.

At first glance it seemed like any old airport form Earth. But once we got to the landing strips that changed completely.

There were all sorts of airships of various shapes and sizes. Some of them even looked like they could be space worthy!

I'd seen Bullheads before in books but seeing one upclose was something entirely different. And even those were nothing compared to the bigger ones that were sometimes five times the size of a Bullhead! Of course the professor noticed my reaction and decided to ask about it.

"Have you never seen an airship?" Ozpin asked. I just shook my head and kept walking. He didn't ask any further and we boarded a large transport ship.

Being so high up did make me a little nervous but it was nothing compared to the many encounters I'd had with the Decepticons. And at least here I had an amazing view. Also on the airship were a few groups of teens talking among themselves. They were probably students also heading to Beacon from whatever they were doing in Vale.

Most of them didn't take notice of me. Though quite a few who did glanced at my ears (the other ones) and quickly looked away.

Apparently Faunus were treated rather poorly by most humans, seen as subpar compared to humankind. From what I read back at the shelter it had been bad enough that they were willing to start a war over it. Since then things had improved, though there was still resentment on both sides. I myself hadn't seen too much of it, most of us back at the shelter kept to ourselves. I was somewhat worried that it would affect my stay here. I didn't want to stay on the schools bad side forever. Though I had seen my fair share of bullies and hoped I could handle it like I would back home.

All in all the ride was quiet and relaxing once I got used to being so high up. About thirty minutes later we were told by the pilot that we would be landing soon. I took another look out the window to try and spot the place I would be staying for the near future.

"Wow..." I breathed.

Beacon looked like something you would see at a Disney World. It was enormous! With tall spires and wide open avenues being the defining set peices. All of which was by a large cliff face that had probably eroded so close over time.

If it wasn't so medieval looking it probably would have fit in with the buildings of Cybertron.

When we landed the professor left Miss Goodwitch to escort me to the room I would be staying in. The halls of Beacon looked very clean and sturdy considering the fact that a bunch of teens stayed here.

Or maybe its because of that?

Either way it didn't take long to make it to the dorms. The room I was given was originally going to be for actual students according to Miss Goodwitch. But they had failed their entrance exam and were sent home.

The room was fairly simple. Beige walls, a bed by the wall furthest from the door, which also had the only window (I noticed it was sealed shut), a dresser by the door, and a large bookshelf by the west wall.

This is where I would be staying for the time being.

Yay...

Miss Goodwitch suprised me when she handed me a Scroll, saying that if I needed something or was leaving the room to call the number programed into it. Then went on her way, leaving me alone.

I decided the first thing I would do was get some sleep. I had been up for a _long_ time and hadn't realized how tired I really was until then.

I went to the bed and crashed right then and there.

 **101010101010101010101010101010**

When I finally opened my eyes again it was dark outside. I still felt a little groggy so I took a second to get my bearings. Then grabbed the scroll the professor left me to check the time.

 **2:00 AM**

I sat up and began to think about everything that had happened. And about what had caused it. Hopefully Optimus was alright and was able to get his memories back.

I missed home.

How was I even supposed to get back? Was it even _possible?_ How were the bots doing? Miko, Raf, Mom...

I tried to lay down and go back to sleep but at this point I was no longer tired. My body was used to being up and ready to go whenever Arcee came to pick me up.

I started tinkering with the scroll to get my mind off of home. It was the first time I'd held one and I wanted to know how to use it in case of emergency.

As it was it seemed pretty bare bones. Though that was to be expected with what was probably a new device.

One thing that caught my interest was that it had an aura gauge installed. I already knew what aura was thanks to my reading back at the shelter. After messing around with it I managed to get it set up.

And it was getting a reading.

...actually in hindsight I should have seen that sooner.

I had not only taken the brunt of a brick wall, but also managed to jump over an entire person. Somehow my aura had been unlocked dispite me having no one else do it and having no training to do it myself...

I quickly decided that train of thought would get me nowhere unless I found out more. So I moved on.

Turns out Remnant's (or at least Vale's) contact system is largely the same as the one used in the United States, interesting.

An alarm clock. Helpfull.

Also there is an application repository, though its been disabled so I wont be getting into that anytime soon.

Ya know I think Rafael would love this place, all sorts of new technology and customs here. This is right up his alley.

After messing around on my scroll and exploring the room a bit I started to consider what I'd do here. I would need to get on the professors good side but considering the sealed window and locked scroll features it was obvious he didn't trust me. And I suppose I can't blame him for that. I just wish I could tell him without ending up in a mental asylum somewhere.

But I can't, so I'll just have to deal with what I have. It will take some time, but eventually I'll earn him trust.

Then I'll tell him...probably.

 **101010101010101010101010101010**

I wasn't able to get back to sleep for at least an hour after getting up the first time. So when the alarm I had set went off I was feeling groggy again.

Maybe they had some sort of energy drink here? That would be great...

I got up and checked the time.

 **10:36 AM**

After that I called the number to let them know I was heading out of my room.

The person who answered wasn't a person at all, just a series of pre-recorded messages. So I left a message and stepped into the halls.

There were a large number of students in the halways, all probably heading to there classes.

I briefly wondered what school was like here. It was a combat school so they were obviously taught to fight but what else? And how did they teach?

Thoughts like these continued as I explored, at first I wondered why I was allowed to go around the building on my own until I saw the cameras hanging from the ceiling.

"Ah!"

Suddenly I felt a sharp pain on my head. I hadn't been expecting it and cried out.

I took a few quick steps to distance myself from the threat and whirled around to see who had pulled on me ear. What I found was a guy not much older then me, a little bulkier but not by much. That threw me for a loop as usually a bully will only go after those smaller then himself.

However when you factor in the fact that this was a Beacon student, and the fact that he had a weapon (a cane, but still) he could probably kick my scrap around the block and back without breaking a sweat.

"Well lookie here, I've found myself a little bunny rabbit." The man smirked as he strolled forward and stuck a hand under his bouler hat to scratch his hair.

"What do you want" I deadpanned.

"Oh I want a lot of things. But the thing that comes to mind now is her." He jabbed a thumb in the direction of a pink haired girl leaning on the wall around twenty feet away. She waved her hand and gave him a smile.

"Oh...so what exactly did she offer you?" I asked in an attempt to keep him talking until I found a way out of this mess that wouldn't make things worse. I didn't want to ask the school staff for help, I was already a borderline criminal to them. I needed to be carful not to get into any fights.

Also its probably what mom would want...

"Lets just say she's willing to give me a show if I give her one first." His smirk grew into a grin.

Things were not looking good for me right now. I could run...but that would cause a ruckus so I would save that option until the last possible moment.

"So what, your gonna pick on some guy just to get in a girls pants?" I asked.

"Oh not just anyone pal, the little missy here has a...thing for faunus, especially the bunny variety. But enough of that, lets get down to business shall we?"

Not good not good not good run run run _run!_

Just as I was about to bolt someone stepped between us and looked to the other teen.

"Are you seriously doing this again Roman? didn't we beat this attitude out of you last semester?" The girl asked...politely? The girl in question was...surprisingly short. She wore a white cloak and had black hair with the tips changing to red. Other then the cloak she wore the standard Beacon uniform.

"Oh, Summer. Fancy seeing you here. I thought you were of on family business or something?" He asked. He almost looked nervous now.

Just who was this girl?

"Just got back yesterday. Now you gonna scamper off or am I gonna make you?" She threatened, her voice suddenly turning sour.

Now I may be new here but im pretty sure that a fight is gonna cause trouble. Even if this place teaches people to fight. Or maybe especially because of that? Anyway this Summer girl is gonna wind up in whatever amounts for detention here if a fight breaks out. And I don't think im ok with that. I walk up beside her and tap her shoulder.

"I appreciate the help miss but I can deal with this, there's no need for you guys to go at it." I said now that I had calmed down. She studied me for a moment. Then looked to Roman.

"See?! He's cool, I'm cool, everybody's cool. No need for a throwdown!" He smiled, though this time much more subdued. He really was afraid of this girl wasn't he?

She hesitated for a moment longer before sighing.

"Fine, but don't let me catch you doing this again you hear me Roman?" She threatened. Roman nodded slowly.

"Crystal."

'Probably should get going' I thought to myself. Summer looked like a nice person but I didn't have the best reputation at the moment. Not to mention I wanted to keep out of the affairs of the school as much as I possibly could. I knew how chaotic teenagers could get. I was one myself after all. I had only gone a few dozen steps before I heard shouting behind me.

"Wait up!" Summer called. I sighed and turned around.

"Yea?" She stopped in front of me and frowned.

"What was that about?! You just took off and didn't say anything!" She cried.

"I-" She cut me off before I could even start.

"Look, when someone helps you out your supposed to thank em ya know!"

I stopped and felt my ears twitch. I really hadn't thanked her properly, I did owe her that much.

"Your right, thanks for the assist miss. And sorry for not saying that before." I scratched the back of my head as I spoke. She nodded.

"Your welcome. And call me Summer, I don't think anyone has called me miss." She laughed.

"Sure, Summer. No problem."

"So what's your name?"

"Jack, Jack Darby." I said and held out my hand.

"Nice to meet you Jack, and don't worry about Roman too much. He couldn't take me even if he had his whole team!" She said as we shook hands.

"Ha ha, I'm sure." I chuckled. I really had no I idea if she was serious or not. Though judging from Roman's reaction it was possible that it was true.

"So why are you not in your uniform Jack?"

What? Why would I- oh...I see.

"I...I'm not actually a student here." I said a little embarrassed. Her eyes widened a bit.

"Oh? I kinda that since you look pretty young that you...well...yea." She trailed off.

"So why exactly are you here then?"

"One of the professors asked for me to come here." I said, completely aware of how cryptic it was.

"Why?" It was obvious she didn't like it.

"To keep an eye on me." I think by this point she had caught on.

"Your in trouble." She stated. I sighed and my head tilted down.

"Yup." Summer just laughed.

"Don't worry, you seem like an ok guy so I won't bug you about it. For now at least." She smiled. I felt a little relief after she said that. I definitely didn't want to get her mad. Also her attitude was surprisingly contagious.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." I smiled back.

"Soooo I need to get to class. How about later today I take you to meet my team? If you have time that is." She asked with a little hop. It was clear she was energetic, though she didn't seem to be as bad as Miko. Not yet at least. However I wasn't sure about going. I needed to focus on being productive so I could get home...but It would be nice to have a distraction... ... It can wait a while. Its not like I have much else to do.

"You know what? Sure! Where do you want to meet?" I nodded.

"Great! Meet me In the cafeteria after class. Since your new here can I have your number? Just in case you get lost." She laughed. I nodded, suddenly glad I had figured out how to work my scroll last night. Once that was done she took off the opposite way.

"I'll see you later!" She waved. I did the same and went back to exploring. Dispite not wanting to get too involved here I was glad I talked with her. It would be nice to get my mind off things for a while. And besides, i may be stuck here but it's not all bad. I have a roof over me, food to eat, and most of all I'm still alive. And with that comes a chance of seeing my family again. I _w_ _ill_ make it back.

...

Or I'll die trying...

 **(Chapter end)**

 **So yea this one took a while. I've been having trouble with writers block and just a general lack of motivation to write. But to compensate im pretty sure this is the longest chapter i've ever written. Hopefully I did a good job on it. I'd really appreciate it if you guys would review and let me know if im doing better.**


	8. Chapter 8

After my run-in with Summer I kept exploring until around eleven or so. Then I decided to ask the staff for something to do. After some asking around I was told to help get the cafeteria ready for lunch.

As it turns out this is a big job. With so many students here and with all the mental and physical training that goes on here the students need to eat a lot. And when I say a lot I mean a _lot._ Back home when lunch came around we would grab a small lunch tray and whatever was on it was it, that was lunch. Here it was more like a buffet! The students grabbed whatever they wanted and could come back for more! Of course all the food prepared was nutritional in some way and meant to keep the students good to go untill dinner, which was also provided by the school.

Geez, what kind of budget did this school have?!

So when I got there everyone was in a rush. They had a lot of foods to prepare from simple sandwiches to swordfish! It wasn't long before I was put to work.

I was told to help put together sliders and get then set out on the counter where all the students would pick out their meals. I didn't have much trouble with this thanks to my time working at the Knock Out drive in back home. Putting together a slider what pretty much the same as a greasy old burger as it turned out...

I stared at the trey full of sliders of various kinds, reminded of all the times I would stand by the window waiting for my shift to be over. Unless there was a mission I would never have to wait long for Arcee to show up.

I had to force myself to focus again, working even faster and harder to get my mind off home.

It didn't take long for an entire section of the counter to be completely full. I called over one of the chefs to check my work.

He didn't say anything for a moment before asking...

"You did all of these?" He asked.

Well...he didn't sound mad, I guess that was a good sign.

"Yes sir."

"On you own?" He sounded a little suprised.

"Um...yes...did I screw up? I was somewhat confused by his reaction. Back home when I first started if i called my boss to check my work (I usually wasn't very confident starting a job) he would just glance over my work and yell at me to not worry about it and get them set aside and work on the next batch.

This was quite different.

"No not at all! Its just most people I know who can get this much done are...well...a lot older." He said.

Huh. Well that was different...

After that I was told to get drinks prepared. I always hated this as if you were careless you would spill and I was almost always the one to clean when my shift was over (no one else would). So I had to balance being fast and being carful enough to keep the floor as clean as possible.

Here it wasn't that different except instead of soda it was energy drinks, coffee (lots of that), tea, and various juices.

As I got into a grove I glanced over at the cooks who were making the more complicated meals. They must have been doing this a long time because they were able to hold an entire conversation among themselves and yet they didnt make a single screw up that I saw.

If there was one thing I learned here it was that this school took their meals _very_ seriously.

Before long It was lunch time and teenagers came flooding in through the two entrances. I watched as the students grabbed their trays and grabbed various assortments and went on their way.

Though I wasnt able to watch long, we had to keep restocking the counters as the food went _very_ fast. Faster then it ever had at the KO diner.

Eventually the tides receded somewhat as most of the students had sat down to eat, giving us a much needed respite. I was able to take a look at the students as they ate. Talking about things that had happened in class or what they wanted to do after class was over. I began to realize just how much my hearing had improved after ending up on Remnant. I was able to heard nearly across to the other side of the cafeteria even over all the noise of the kitchen. And not only that but my sight as well, though this was a difference I had noticed before, but didn't want to admit.

I was starting to get used to being a Faunus.

And honestly that kind of scared me. It was a sign of getting used to my new environment. Of moving on.

What would happen if this continued? Would I eventually forget about earth? About my friends and family? I had a hard time believing that was possible but the doubt was there in the back of my mind. I didn't want to forget them.

This furthered my resolve to get home. Even if it took years, I'd spent too much time with them to just throw it away now.

Of course there was another problem. The longer I stayed here the more people I would meet. And some of those people could end up being friends. It would make leaving a lot harder if I made friends here.

So why had I agreed to meet with Summer and her team? I was supposed to be focusing on work and finding out how I'd ended up here. Not socializing.

Maybe it was cause if I didn't she would have pressed the issue? She seemed like the kind of person to do that kind of thing. Maybe I was just tired of being alone...

Whatever it was I had already said yes, I couldn't back out now. I'd just have to be boing enough for them to leave me alone. Shouldn't be too hard.

10101010101010101010110101010101010101010101010101

Once lunch was over it was time for the part I was dreading.

Clean up...

Yea this wasn't gonna be fun.

At very least all the noise was gone. It wasn't bad but it had begun to hurt my ears after a while.

I was about to get started when I noticed all the staff had gathered around a few tables, going back and fourth from the kitchen.

"Hey guys, whats going on?" I asked when I made my way to them. They glanced over to me.

"Gettin something to eat. You hungry kid?"

I was mildly suprised. If I had eaten any of the food back home without paying for it I would have most likely been fired.

"Is that allowed?" I asked. They shrugged.

"No ones stopped us yet." One of them said as he took a bite out of a finger steak.

I decided not to question it anymore and just role with it.

"So kid, whatcha think of Beacon? You've only been here a day right?" A man with blue hair asked. I nodded. I had been about to say more, before remembering that it was a bad idea to socialize too much.

They made a few more attempts at small talk with me after that before just talking among themselves for the rest of the meal.

Once we were done we moved on to cleaning. The staff continued to talk among themselves and I went to the back of the cafeteria to clean.

Teens could be real pigs.

It had taken at least two hours to get everything cleaned and the food put away. And once it was done I felt like I had put in a full shift at the KO diner. Still, at least I had something to do while I was stuck here.

10101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010

By the time it was all said and done it was around 4:00 PM and classes would be ending soon. I decided to spend what time I had left before I would meet with Summer in my room. I had found a spare notebook and decided I would use it as a diary, though I wouldn't write anything too sensitive in it until I found a good hiding spot. I had just made it back to my room when my scroll went off. I set my notebook down and saw a text from miss Goodwitch.

"Professor Ozpin has requested to see you. Please make your way to his office immediately. I've sent directions to your scroll."

-Goodwitch

Scrap! I'd better get over there fast. I may not want to meet with Summer (or do I?) but I don't want to just blow her off. With that in mind I pulled up the directions to the professor's office. As it turned out the professors office wasn't that far away as it only took me about two minutes to get there. The office itself was rather small, just a bit smaller then my dorm in fact. Almost everything seemed to be made of wood, what kind I couldn't tell. And right behind the large desk at the other end of the room sat professor Ozpin, waiting patiently.

"You wanted to see me sir?" I asked, hoping I wasn't in trouble.

"Yes, Mister Darby. Please sit down." He said calmly. I sat down, becoming steadily more nervous. Pressure gathered in my chest.

"Now, to start I would like to ask you how you've found your stay here so far?" He asked. I was glad that he hadn't asked about my past, though I didn't want to drop my guard just yet.

"Its been better then I thought it would be to be honest." I stated, wanting to say more but...also getting the feeling that I shouldn't. I decided I'd leave it at that for now. The professor waited a few awkward moments before nodding.

"...Very well. Have you found everyone friendly? Has anyone harassed you at all?" What was he getting at with this? Did he know about my run in with the orange haired kid? If so was he trying to see if I would say anything? Well it was his school. If he didn't know already then he would soon enough, no need to bring it up.

"Nope, so far everyone has been quite friendly." I lied through my teeth. I could have sworn I'd seen the professors eyes narrow just a hair. But if it had happened it was gone as quick as it had come.

"Good. Here at Beacon we try to maintain a friendly environment to all who stay here, Human and Faunus alike. Though I know that cannot always be the case." He sighed.

"I know you have plans so I will cut to the chase. I brought you here to give you another chance of explaining the mysterys surrounding yourself and the lack of information on you." He said, looking straight at me. He didn't look angry though, if anything he looked determined. That didn't stop the fear from invading my chest again though. On one hand if I gave him the same answer I had at the station...yea that wouldn't end well. At the same time if I lied he would probably be able to see through it. I was already pretty sure he'd seen through my previous lie. So that just left the truth. A truth that would land me in a mental asylum with no way of getting home. They say the truth will set you free but in this case it would do just the opposite! I'd just have to selectively tell the truth. Just enough to explain a few things.

"Well...for now let's say that some good friends of mine were in a lot trouble and I was in a good position to help them out." I said, referring to Optimus' memories and the key.

"But...when I did I got separated, and now I don't know how to find them again...In fact I'd never been to Mountain Glenn until about a week ago." I stated. The professor said nothing for a moment. Probably trying to see if I was lying.

"So your from outside of the kingdoms, the Grimm invaded your village, and you used yourself as a distraction. Is that it?" He listed.

"Wha- I...I mean..." I was utterly floored! How had he gotten that from what I'd said?! While I was still fumbling with my words Ozpin chuckled, then sighed.

"Its not the first time I have seen this happen. In fact a few of my students have a similar background. And in their cases most of the records on them were either lost or destroyed. Short of being from another world this is the only possible explanation." He explained.

...

He'd...just made me a backstory... "

Sir...thank you, I wasn't sure you would believe me." I was hardly able to keep a smile of relief off my face, though not for the reason he thought. The professor nodded.

"Your welcome. Now you may have noticed that a few precautions were taken to prevent you from...leaving." He started. I nodded, knowing he was referring to the sealed window and monitored scroll.

"I am sorry for that." He apologized.

"It was the only way I could convince the authorities to let you come with me, rest assured that soon you will have your full freedom back." Wow. Today was just full of great news. I just nodded and let him continue.

"Also I was informed of your work in the cafeteria earlier today. I would like to offer you a wage in exchange for continuing to work there every afternoon. Its hard to find diligent workers who are not already working in the full restaurants of Vale." He laughed. All I could was just nod at this point.

"Very well. I think that covers everything, you may leave if you like."

"Alright. Thank you sir. This...it's more then I could have hoped for." I said.

"Your quite welcome mister Darby. I see no reason to believe you don't deserve it."

That wiped the smile right of my face. The professor noticed immediatly and looked concerned. I left before he could do anything about it. It may not have been my lie but that didn't change the fact that I didn't stop him from believing it.

10101010101010101010101010101010101010100101010101010

I thought about the conversation all the way to the cafeteria. He'd said I deserved it, but I knew he wouldn't have said that if he knew the truth. I didn't deserve anything.

But thinking like this isn't going to help me. I need to keep moving, I still have more to do today. It wasn't long before I made it to the cafeteria. The kitchen staff was just arriving for the dinner service, getting everything prepared. And sitting at one of the tables was Summer. Along with a blonde haired boy. Apparently he'd been in the middle of a joke when I arrived because they were both barely holding back laughter.

"And then, haha and then the guy says, now that's a katana! hahaha!" He said and they both exploded into laughter. They were laughing so hard a smile was beginning to form on my own face so I decided to stop them before I got caught up in it too.

"Hey Summer!" I called. I was still by the entrance a few hundred feet away and they couldn't hear like I could so I had to yell. They both turned around and waved me over. When I got to them Summer shot up and pointed to me.

"Tai, this is Jack! Jack, this is Tai!" She exclaimed and shoved me beside the blondie, who held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you Jack, like the ball of energy said my name's Taiyang, but everyone just calls me Tai." He chuckled.

"Nice to meet you Tai." I said and shook his hand.

"So the Branwens should be here in a bit so we have some time to kill before then." Summer informed. Tai nodded and looked back at me.

"So Jack, what brings you to Beacon? Summer already told me that you aint a student so why else would ya be here?" He asked. I saw Summer lean forward in interest.

Time to be boring.

"Long story short I was part of a misunderstanding and was brought here until they could clear it up." I said simply. There smiles turned into pouts. They were obviously hoping for a story.

"I know it's not exactly interesting but hey, I'm just an ordinary guy so it fits." I smiled. Eventually they just shrugged.

"So what's it like living out in Mountain Glenn? Do you see a lot of Grimm?! I'd bet they have to send patrols into the forest all the time! Ahhh! It sounds so awesome!" Summer cried. I didn't really know what to say to that.

It kind of reminded me of Miko.

"Hey Hey! Your scaring him Sum." Tai joked. Summer had the decency to look embarrassed and her face took on a shade of red.

"Yea sorry. Its just we train here so much that we hardly ever get to see any Grimm other then Creeps and Beowulfs." She poured. Yep. I could definitely imagine Miko saying that.

"I mean I'm glad the bigger Grimm don't come around here all that often but it would be nice to get an Ursa or something, maybe even a Deathstalker." Tai added.

"Why would you ever want to fight a giant scorpion?" I asked.

"Well when you fight the same thing over and over again for the past year and a half you tend to want a bigger challenge. I mean yea an Ursa would be nice but a Deathstalker! Man that would be an awesome fight!" Summers silver eyes glazed over as she started making cartoonish fighting noises in her excitement. I shook my head.

"You are absolutely-"

" ** _You!_** " I heard someone yell behind me. I turned around to see who...it...was...

Oh no...

Standing by the entrance was the very same Qrow and Raven who had brought me into the station the days before.

Scrap.

 **(End)**

 **Oh look, two chapters in a single week!** **Im beginning to see something worthwhile in this story. My skills have improved somewhat and im finding it easier to write. Its great for helping me think.**

 **Also I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. Its great to see people interested in my story. That said it would be great if you guys could continue to offer criticism.**


	9. chapter 9

**Hiya everyone, Somas35 here, and welcome back to Still Alive!** **Yea this one was another long wait but i had a hard time finding what to write. In other words writers block. But anyways its here finally, Hopefully you enjoy.**

 **(C** **hapter 9)**

Once I had recovered enough to think the first thing I did was stand up. When I did this I noticed everyone tense up. It was hard to spot though. In fact if my eyes were the same as they had been back home I probably wouldn't have noticed.

Raven quickly drew her sword and prepared to dash forward, her eyes narrowed and seemed to harden with concentration. Not unlike how the bots would get when they were in a fight with a Deception.

It was more then a little unnerving...

Only before she could act summer stepped in front of her, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

"Woah hey! let's just tone it down a bit ok guys?" She said and held her hands up in a calming fashion. Neither Qrow, nor Raven would have any of it though.

"You do realize that this is the guy we told you about right? The guy who was talking with the drug dealer? Who ran off when I confronted them?" Qrow drawled and moved to walk past her. Only for Summer to step in front of him.

"So? He hasn't done anything wrong the whole time he's been here! In fact he's been nothing but kind! Unlike a certain teammate I know!" Summer retorted, obviously referring to Qrow. Said teen just folded his arms and glared at her, looking very unimpressed.

"So? He could be lying, Did ya ever think about that?! No of course you didn't. Cause your always busy being an 'optimist' who's too naive to know better then to trust some guy she just met!"

"At least I CAN trust people! And besides, I haven't exactly known you for very long either! And I gave you a shot didn't I? Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?" Summer put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot.

"He is a risk to everyone here. I do not like taking risks." Raven said flatly.

"If you dont take risks every once in a while you might miss something you would never get otherwise. And this isnt exactly that big a risk considering this place is filled with people trained to fight!'

"It only takes one to start a fire Summer..."

Qrow quietly glared at Summer for a moment. When Summer didnt move he rolled his eyes in frustration.

"Ya know what? Fine! I don't care who you spend your time with, just don't get me involved!" Qrow threw his arms up and walked away, Raven followed behind, glaring at me the whole way.

That girl reminded me WAY too much of Arcee on a bad day...

Once they left the room fell into an awkward silence. I felt bad for causing this, but i suppose if im going to be living here for a while this was bound to happen.

Summer tapped her fingers together, trying to find the right words. Tai just looked from us to the entryway the Branwens had left from repeatedly. As if trying to figure out what just went down. The chefs, seeing that no fighting would be breaking out, returned to their work without so much as a word.

"Hehe...I'm...really sorry about that Jack, I didn't expect them to react THAT badly, you really are a good guy. I just wish I could have handled that a bit better." Summer finally spoke. And with a sigh she sat back down.

"I already knew what happened, they told me as soon as they got back. So when I saw you here I just...wanted to see for myself." She explained. Then turned to Tai.

"So...what do you think? I'm I just being naive or...?" She left the rest unsaid.

Tai looked down thoughfully. When he looked up again he had a look of conviction.

"I don't know. All I know is you are the most honest person I've ever met. So if you think he's alright...well who am I to disagree?" He smiled. Summer mirrored the gesture and launched at him with a big hug.

"Aww thanks Tai! Your awesome!" To his credit Tai was hiding his discomfort very well, while subtlety untangling himself from her embrace.

"Geez girl! You gotta stop with these hugs or I'm gonna _suffocate_ before I _graduate_!" Tai joked, which prompted a (justified) smack on the head from Summer.

"That was terrible..."

She deadpaned while Tai sputtered in shock.

"Wha!...but...that one was pretty good!" He cried.

By this point I had just sat down and waited for whenever they would notice me again. No need to interrupt, after all I had plenty of time to kill. Though that didn't last much longer before Summer dragged Taiyang and I off to their dorm to hang out and forget about the argument for a while. It was a bit awkward at first with the weight of what happened in the back of our minds but as we talked it slowly faded away.

Finally Tai brought out some sort of popular board game they played often called Politics and War. Apparently it was a classic that would soon be getting a remastered version just called Remnant. (gotta keep up with the times I suppose). It was also VERY complex. With different rules involving everything from trading to troop drafting. It took a long time to pick up. And they didn't hold back, absolutely destroying me and knocking me out before I was even an hour in (these games could sometimes last an entire day from what I was told).

After that I just watched the other two go at it the rest of the game, trying all sorts of crazy strategies in an attempt to sneak past the other's defences, while avoiding being overrun by Grimm. By the end it was Tai who came out on top by sacrificing an entire state to get to Summers capital.

"No way! I was totally kicking your butt!" Summer cried as Tai sweeped her pieces off the board triumphantly.

"And that's just what I wanted you to think. Great game Sum!" He held out his hand to shake.

Only to be met with a pillow to the face.

"I'll get you next time, just you wait!" She yelled.

I couldn't help but laugh.

"That was pretty cool how you did that Tai, though I don't understand how you kept your armies supplied the whole time while your army was cut off." I said as I examined the board. Tai preceded to point to the island state Summer had taken close to Taiyang's chosen capital.

"Well. When Summer took Patch she thought she would cripple my forced by taking the place with most of my military installations, factories and the like. While they would have been helpfull in taking Vale, I didn't need them cause she put all her focus in offence, hoping to take me out before I could build up any further, instead of making proper defences for Vale and her other core cities. Those factories were of better use keeping her forces at bay while the rest of my troops snuck around here." He pointed to a valley west of Vale.

"And to answer your question my troops were lightly equipped, no siege equipment at all, meaning the only thing theyes would need was the basic, and I could take Vale before Summer's forces could catch up." He finished.

"Wow, that's pretty impressive Tai." I replied, not expecting such a detailed explanation.

"Tai's been playing this game for years so I'm not suprised at all. It will only make it all the sweeter when I get my revenge!" Summer replied with an almost devious tone in her voice.

"Yea sure, try all you like but with tactics like that you have a looooong way to go." Tai laughed and stood up.

By the time It was all said and done it was getting late and the Branwen siblings would probably be back any minute so I decided to head back to my own dorm. Summer was visibly annoyed by this but I didn't want to get between them more then I already had. From what she had said they already were having problems.

And here I was making things worse...

I had fun with Summer and Tai, but at what cost? I had told myself I wasn't going to get attached to anyone but if I kept this up...

And not only that but if I became Summer's friend she would probably be hurt as well when I leave. Tai only seemed to trust me because he trusted Summer. So what are my...wait...

Is it possible that I'm already too far in?

When I reached my room I was feeling beyond guilty. If I was right then no matter what I did someone would get hurt. Which meant that I needed to do something fast, before things got worse...Geez, Optimus would have never gotten himself into this situation...

But if he did what would he do?

Hmm...


End file.
